title: A randomized-controlled, pilot intervention on diabetes prevention and healthy lifestyles in the New York City Korean community.
abstract: Asian Americans experience diabetes at a higher rate than non-Hispanic whites. Diabetes prevention programs using lifestyle interventions have been shown to produce beneficial results, yet there have been no culturally-tailored programs for diabetes prevention in the Korean community. We explore the impact and feasibility of a pilot Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention to improve health behaviors and promote diabetes prevention among Korean Americans using a randomized controlled trial. Between 2011 and 2012, a total of 48 Korean Americans at risk for diabetes living in New York City (NYC) participated in the intervention. Participants were allocated to treatment or control groups. A community-based participatory research approach guided development of the intervention, which consisted of 6 workshops held by CHWs on diabetes prevention, nutrition, physical activity, diabetes complications, stress and family support, and access to health care. Changes over 6 months were examined for clinical measurements (weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol); health behaviors (physical activity, nutrition, food behaviors, diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and mental health); and health access (insurance and self-reported health). In this small pilot study, changes were seen in weight, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, physical activity nutrition, diabetes knowledge, and mental health. Qualitative findings provide additional contextual information that inform ways in which CHWs may influence health outcomes. These findings demonstrate that a diabetes prevention program can be successful among a Korean American population in NYC, and important insight is provided for ways that programs can be tailored to meet the needs of vulnerable populations.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Population Health and Medicine, Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, VZN #843, New York, NY, USA, Nadia.Islam@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Nadia S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zanowiak
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Simona C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Chau
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trinh-Shevrin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003150:Community Health Workers; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D010865:Pilot Projects; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D055815:Young Adult